Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is monitored for all students at MSCC whether they receive financial aid or not. Students who apply to MSCC are obligated to make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree or certificate. Students enter into a contract or agreement to attend class, complete their assignments, seek tutorial assistance if necessary, prepare for exams, and complete courses with a passing grade.

Students who apply for either Federal or State aid (including loans) to attend MSCC are obligated both to the institution and any agency providing loans, grants, or scholarships to fulfill the above obligations and make every effort to ensure their educational success. In order to receive aid a student must meet the requirements of any agency or institution providing assistance.

Satisfactory Academic Progress at Mid-South Christian College has two components: qualitative and quantitative. Satisfactory Academic Progress means meeting the requirements for both components as outlined below, and being enrolled in an eligible program.

The college is committed to monitoring SAP to both assist the student in successful completion of their program and advise them if their progress puts them in jeopardy of academic probation, dismissal or loss of financial aid.

Students’ academic progress will be checked at the end of each semester. The student must maintain the following standards in order to be considered within Satisfactory Academic Progress:

Qualitative requirements:

A student with less than 32 credit hours must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 1.50.

A student with 32 credit hours or more, but less than 48 credit hours must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 1.70.

A student with 48 credit hours or more, but less than 61 credit hours must have a cumulative GPA of at least 1.90.

A student with 61 credit hours or more must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Quantitative requirements:

A student must have completed 75% of the credit hours attempted. For example, if after the third semester the student has attempted 48 credit hours and has completed only 34 credit hours, the quantitative completion rate is 71%, and the student would be placed on warning even though the student may have a cumulative GPA of 2.320.

A student must complete a program within an established time frame. Financial aid will be awarded according to the number of the program’s credit hours multiplied by 150%. A student will lose eligibility for financial aid for all future semesters after the semester in which the maximum hours allowed are exceeded. For example, the BCL degree requires 135 credit hours; therefore, the student could receive federal aid for up to 202 credit hours.

At the end of a semester, when a student’s academic progress is checked, a student who does not maintain the above standards will be placed in the following categories:

FINANCIAL AID WARNING: The first semester after it has been determined the student does not meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress the student will be placed on FINANCIAL AID WARNING. Warning means the student will be eligible to receive financial aid, but it also means the student must complete the required percentage of hours with the required GPA by the end of the semester on warning.

FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION: At the end of the semester the student has been placed on warning, if he or she still does not meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student will be placed on FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION, which means the student will not be able to receive any financial aid until they again meet the required completion rate and GPA standards as outlined above.

FINANCIAL AID PROBATION: When a student is placed on FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION they may file an appeal. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on FINANCIAL AID PROBATION. If the appeal is not granted the student will remain on FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION.

Appeal Procedure:

At the time a student is placed on financial aid suspension, the student may appeal the condition in writing to the Director of Financial Aid. Appeals must be based on unusual circumstances such as long-term illness, death or illness of a family member, etc. The Financial Aid Committee will review the student’s file and the student will be notified of the decision. Letters of appeal must be submitted by the date printed on the Suspension Notification Letter.

If the student believes their appeal was not granted due consideration and was rejected without foundation, the student may file a written appeal to the President of the College. The President may agree with the Financial Aid Committee and the student will remain on FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION, or he or she may grant the appeal and the student will be placed on FINANCIAL AID PROBATION.

A student placed on FINANCIAL AID PROBATION will meet with their Academic Advisor to create a Personal Academic Plan, which if followed by the student, will specify the point in time at which the student will be able to meet MSCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. While on the Personal Academic Plan the student will be evaluated against the plan’s requirements, not the regular SAP requirements, and will be eligible for Financial Aid. If the student fails to meet the requirements of the Personal Academic Plan at the end of any semester, the student will be placed on FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION.

Repeated Courses: The first time a student repeats a course, the new grade replaces the previous grade and the hours attempted. Each subsequent attempt of a course does not replace previous attempts, and is counted toward both the GPA and the completion rate. Exception: When calculating hours attempted for the 150% requirement, credits from all attempts must be included.

Withdrawal from Courses: Students withdrawing from a class in weeks 4 through 10 will be given a “WF” or “WP” grade. The class will count only as hours attempted. No course can be dropped after ten weeks of class.

Incomplete Grades: Grades of “I” (Incomplete) are only issued temporarily at MSCC. After 30 days the grade becomes an “F”.

Transfer Students: Academic transcripts from all other colleges attended will be included when evaluating satisfactory academic progress. The student will be placed on financial aid satisfactory progress or probation based upon the review. If a student’s progress is not satisfactory, the student will be notified.